Optical disks represent a significant percentage of the market for data storage of electronic information including photographic, video, and/or audio data. Typically, optical disks have data patterns embedded thereon that can be read from one side of the disk, and a graphic display printed on the other side of the disk. Various optical disk formats are currently available such as CD, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, and DVD+RW. Other optical disk formats are also available.
In order to identify the contents of the optical disk, printed patterns or graphic display information can be provided on the non-data side of the disk. The patterns or graphic display can be both decorative and provide pertinent information about the data content of the disk. In the past, commercial labeling has been routinely accomplished using screen-printing methods. While this method can provide a wide variety of label content, it tends to be cost ineffective for production of less than about 400 disks because of the fixed costs associated with preparing a stencil or combination of stencils and printing the desired pattern or graphic display.
In recent years, the significant increase in the use of optical disks for data storage by consumers has increased the demand to provide customized labels to reflect the content of the optical disk. Most consumer available methods of labeling are limited to either handwritten descriptions or preprinted labels which may be affixed to the disk. Unfortunately, preprinted labels can adversely affect the disk performance upon spinning at high speeds.
Recently, a variety of electromagnetic radiation responsive dye compositions have been investigated for use on optical disks. An optical disk coated with a radiation responsive dye on the side of the optical disk which does not store data can have an image developed on the optical disk using an emitter in an optical disk drive. The image developed in the radiation responsive dye can be used by consumers for disk labeling and other uses. The existing means for controlling the location of emitters that are used in optical disk drives, however, may not be accurate enough to produce a high resolution image free of errors or distortion in the image.